Hinge



I. P. BAGLEY HINGE Filed Oct. 8. 1936 fa? (j BY ATTORNEY `Patented Aug. 17, 1937 vlU'Ni'lriao STATES AgpiSJriaiaT OFFICE mNGE 'ma P. Bagley, Brooklyn, n. Y. Application oetoiieus, i936, serial Nu. 104,131,

` s claims. (ci, 1li-136)] l This invention relates to improvements in hinges, particularly adapted for vuse on the heavy doors of refrigerators and similar apparatus for `eliminating friction at the' vertical vswinging'ceni te'rs of the hinges, 1 1

Features of the construction niay be found in ball bearings interposed between a central bearing pin having end sockets, and threaded Vend i pins having corresponding sockets, and a sleeve enclosing the pins and balls, collectively forming a cage for the balls, said pins, balls, and sleeve being preferably of non-corrosive steel;

By reason of the ponderosity of refrigerator doors, there occurs more or less wear of the upper face of the lower bracket in hinges of this type,

now in general use, which causes .breakage of the air seal at the door joints and a consequent escape of gas or vapors from within the refrig-" erator compartment. These vapors set upcorrosive conditions in refrigerator hinges now in usev and impair their service life.

In this invention, the above conditions cannot occur as the balls and sockets are protected from direct contact with the above described vapors zgfby a steel sleeve welded or otherwise secured to 'the central bearing pin.

Another feature of the construction is a double or up and down adjustment so that the hinge may be used on left or right swing doors and furtheij providing an upward adjustment for wear when the hinge is connected to a refrigerator door in either position.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, theinvention consists in the details of construeu tion, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be'hereinafter more Afully set forth and claimed. In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing form- 1 doing part of'this application, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the` several views, and in whichf Figure 1 illustrates a face view of my improved hinge: Figure 2 illustrates an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 illustrates a composite detail side; V elevation of a steel sleeve `and a central bearing l. A refrigeratorhinge Referring to the drawing I0 is the frame plate of the hinge and Il: is the door plate which have suitable apertures 'I2 through which screws or other fastenings may be passedinto the frame Land door of a` refrigerator to secure the hinge my 5 Position@ .y

Riveted as'at `I3 to a.l portion of the lframe plate l0 isa pair of .posts M, provided with alined threaded bores I5, through which screws I6 are secured which are locked in adjusted positions by 1 screw o'r lock caps I'l, at one end and their opposite ends are reduced into pins I 6a, formed with ball sockets I 8, to receive steel balls I9, in conjunction with opposite sockets 20, formed in opposite ends vof a central bearing pin 2| having a u central v cut 22 continued from a similar cut 23 lformed in a preferably steel sleeve 2l extend-v ing between-the posts I4 with its ends receiving the reduced pins ISa of the adjusting screws I6.

'I'he inner side of the door plate Il -is rolled L v into an elongated `bearing lsleeve 25 which encircles the sleeve 2l and is welded or brazed thereto, as at 26, and in the brazing operation, the central bearing pin 2| and the sleeve 24 are `interlocked against longitudinal strains through l the V cuts 22 and 23, as willbe obvious, and theV central bearing pin 2| and 'said sleeve usare also brazed together within'said sleeve as at 2l.

ing pin 2| is brazed or welded directly to thebear- When wear takes place, ther parts separate at r S, Fig. 4, disclosing the'fact that the refrigerator' door has dropped slightly away from a completely Y 'sealed position; it is then necessaryto remove the lowerlock cap 'I`|, and withascrew' driver turnup lower screw I6 to cause the top of= the bearing sleeve 25 to abut the upper post I4.' This 40' adjustmentis required only at long intervals. f C f. It is intendedthat the ball bearings run in ja semi-liquid lubricant suchasrvaseiine which is inserted into both ends ofthe sleeve or `tube before the end pins are insertedinto contact with c f` the balls.v

While reference has vbeen made in this' appli-V l. v

cationv to`steel" as the material Aemployed in the formation'of some`of the'elementait'is to be I understood that saidterm comprehends any of t the well known hard wear resisting metals and the applicantv does not wish to be understood as confining her invention to steel per se. f f

I claim:

The hinge shownin Figs. 4, V5 and 6 is similar to 1 the preferred forni just described, except that the 'fsteel tube 24 is eliminated and the central bearvframe and door plates provided with attaching means, posts attached in vertical alinement to the frame plate andk having threaded hores. ad-

`lasting screws threaded through said bor and I having reduced pins terminating in ballsockets. a

central bearing pin cups at its oppoaite ends and a cross groove in its center. hall hearings confined between the opposite cups. a hard metal sleeve enclosing the pins and balls 10 and formed with a groove centrally of its length,

the central bearing pin and-the'sleeve being connected, and said door plate having a bearing sleeve encircling said hard metal sleeve and (son:kv

nected to rotate therewith.

1I 2. A refrigerator hinge comprising oppositei frame and door plates; posts fast on the frame plate: adiusting'ipins threaded inwardly through the posts and having ball'cu'ps, a centralbearing pin provided with ball cupsin itsoppositeends.V

Il ball bearings in said cups, a steel sleeve'surrounding the pins and balls and connected to thecentralpin, a bearing sleeve iorifnecl'fl'om the said 4 `door plate andv connected: to saidsteel sleeve to form ahingejoint. l- -3. A refrigerator hinge comprising frame and door plates. posts on -said frame plate. and-.having threaded bores, adjusting screw pins extended inwardly from said bores. `locl: capson said` screws. a central bearing nin. ball beariw conlined between the adjacent ends of the respective pins. a bearing sleeve formed from the door plate and extending from post to post of the frame plate. a steel sleeve enclosing the pins and balls and enclosedby said bearing sleeve and means for connecting the said bearing sleeve, the

steel sleeve and the central bearing pin together.

4. A refrigerator hinge comprising trame and door plates. oppositeposts onthe plate, pins adJustalbleA thereirrpa central'pim ball hearings connned between the adiacent ends o! said pins, a steel sleeve enclosing the pins and `halls and extending from post to post.l a bearing sleeve extending from' the door plate and encircling said steel sleeve. and means for connecting the `laearim sleeve. the steel sleeveand lthe central `pin together.

5. A refrigerator comprising frameand y door plates, posts ilxed to the frame plate. in

wnrdly` directed vins sdiustlbieihroh nidk posts. lock .caps ion the daterend: of said a central bearing pin, balls confined betm the Y adjacent ends of said pinna bearing sleeve formed with the dooxl plateandencircling pins and balls, and means* for connecting said sleeve to the centralbearing pin, e IDAP. 

